JOURNAL OF
THE L E PI D 0 PTE R 1ST S' SOC I E TY
Volume 29 1975 Number 1
THE LIFE CYCLE OF ORNITHOPTERA PARADISEA (PAPILIONIDAE)
H. BORCH Maprik, Territory of Papua and New-Guinea
AND
F. SCHMID Biosystematics Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
"'- During the years 1972 and 1973, the senior author collected data on the behaviour and the life history of Ornithoptera paradisea Staudinger, a butterfly that is probably the most elegant, exquisite and beautiful in the world and that fully deserves its name (Fig. 12). This species occurs through a wide area in northern New-Guinea, but it is local and its numbers are rather limited. The habitat is the primary forest on hilly or mountainous areas, ranging from 500 m to 1000 m in altitude. Specimens are occasionally found higher: a c; was once observed over 2000 m. Adults are rarely seen in the open. Males usually fly high around forest trees. Females usually fly under the canopy in search of the foodplant. The male emits a delightful smell from the beautiful fringe of pure white hairs along the last anal vein. This fact is unique among the Ornithoptera. Unfortunately, the smell disappears when the specimens dry and does not reappear when they are relaxed. The ova are often parasited by tiny Hymenoptera, probably Chalcididae, and the larvae by some species of Braconidae. Predators, such as lizards, ants and frogs, also take a heavy toll of larvae and pupae. Certain weather conditions are a hazard to immatures, especially during the northwest monsoon season. S6:ong winds and driving rain may account for approximately 30% of the fatalities in the larval stage. 2 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
The foodplant is an undetermined species of large-leafed Aristolochia, with bright orange, elongated fruits (Fig. 1). It grows only in the heavy rain-forest where it climbs high into the forest canopy. It never occurs in the open secondary bush. A description of the immature stages has already been given by Jordan ( 1908). Because it is short and rudimentary (Ein verlassliche detaillierte Beschreibung aZZer Entwicklungsstadien fehlt noch.), we are happy to fill the gap.
Egg (Fig. 2). A single ovum is laid on the ventral surface of a leaf of the host plant and sometimes, but rarely, on a nearby object. The egg is large, 4 mm in diameter, light orange and flattened at base. The orange colour fades as the egg matures. Incubation period 10-12 days. First ins tar larva (Fig. 3). 8 mm in length on emergence. Ground colour very dark, wine red. All segments with long tubercles, fleshy on basal % and stiff on apical 2;':~, bearing long bristles. Head capsule and pronotal shield black. Dorsal and latero-dorsal mesonotal tubercles with their basal % red or pink red, this colour extending basally onto notum; but its center is dark. Occasionally two dark red spots at the inner base of the dorso-Iateral tubercles on the metanotum. Abdominal segments 1, 2, 3 dark. Saddle-mark pink red, the colour reaching the basal % of tubercles, but interrupted medially by dark colour. Segments 5, 6 dark. Segments 7, 8, 9 dark pink, the colour reaching the basal half of tubercles, with or without a narrow median dark line. Osmaterium orange, with red slit. Second instar (Fig. 4). Basic colour velvety black. All tubercles longer in proportion and without bristles. Latero-dorsal pro notal, dorsal and latero-dorsal mesonotal, and metanotal tubercles red, with long black tips. Dorsal tubercles on abdominal segment 1 occasionally with a dark red annulus. Dorsal tubercles on segment 4 thicker and longer than others, red, with short black tips, but the red colour does not extend to the segment itself. Dorsal tubercles of segments 7, 8, 9 red with black tips. A dark red annulus occasionally present on latero-dorsal tuber cles of segments 7, 8. Third instar (Figs. 5-6). Basic colour black. All tubercles smaller in size than in second instar. Membrane behind head capsule red. All thoracic and abdominal dorsal tubercles almost entirely red, with black tips. Those of segment 4 very thick at base and with a bit of cream colour basally. Lateral tubercles of pronotum and dorso-lateral and lateral tubercles of meso- and metanotum red with black tips. Lateral tubercles of 1st abdominal segment black, those of other segments partially red. 4th and 5th instars (Figs. 7-9). Basic colour black. Membrane behind head capsule black. Tubercles of thorax and three first abdominal segments smaller than those in third ins tar. All dorsal tubercles partially red except those on abdominal segment 4 that have a bit of cream colour basally. Tubercles of abdominal segments 1, 2, 3 have only a hint of red. Maximum length 100 mm. Duration of larval peroid 36-40 days. Pupa (Figs. 10-11). Dorsally more slender than in poseidon and covered with wax-like coating. Colour and markings showing wide individual variations. Basic colour brown, darker laterally on abdominal segments. Wing-cases brown with center dull yellow, venation dark. Saddle-mark bright yellow and orange below wing-cases. Tegulae orange. Abdominal segments orange yellow dorsally. Two short and sharp black-tipped processes on abdominal segments 3-6. Average length 60 mm. Average duration of pupation 37 days. VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 3
Figs. 1, 2. Ornithoptera pal'adisea Staudinger and its foodplant. 1, Foodplant, Aristolochia sp.; 2 ovum. (Printed in Canada.) ~ ~ iii! . -',. .... ~...... ~ '?".., ("J ~ - ~ ~>t.•• ::;. 1:.i.~~ '-. "- ~ .~ , . r...... ", Jf!o.~" ..... ,,- "\' '" ' .. . '---:" '~, \.. "". . : '-- -.....~¥'''',' '. -...t~~: .. ;~ :;:_. ~ / . ' .... ~ ... ~l, ~, '~. -'~ ',,\::;.~, ,~ .. !J .• :... .A!&~ ,'_":~~ ~,,- ~.;~ " ~. "''':: t '. . , "" " ~"'~.~ "''''P" ~,~ ••. .. , '...... ,;;.:~~...• '--:.~ , ...... ~""r ' ... :~: • ;..~a.. ! ,J,J ~ , ...... -: ) '':$.~;;~'7 .. f. -" _ ' _ . ;; .• '.:,:- ,- ~ .' ,. .. ,. ' ..' '., f., '; • " ".'L ".'" --._ ..'_ ,~., .. ' \ ~o ~.:'--; ':~"I'':''', "'~"" ~'1~'h.' .c,_ c::: ' '. "V ::l:l ~:: Z '\' I "''{ ,. _ ,. > ~ -~J, t"' o >lj ... 'i
Figs. 5, 6. Omithoptera paradisea Staudinger, third instal' larvae. 5, Dorsal view; 6, left lateral view. (Printed in Canada.) 6 JOURN AL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
Figs. 7, 8. 01'1lithoptera paradisea Staudinger. 7, Fourth ins tar larva, dorsal view; 8, fifth ins tar larva, dorsal view. (Printed in Canada.) , J "
o-< t"" C \>" b1 1'0 CD Z C ;;<" t%j ~
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-l Figs. 9, 10. Ornithoptera paradisea Staudinger. 9, Fifth instar larva, dorsal view; 10, pupa, left lateral view. (Printed in Canada.) 8 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
Figs. 11, 12. Ornithoptera paradisea Staudinger. 11, Pupa, dorsal view; 12, newly emerged male (Printed in Canada.) VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 9
LITERATURE CITEDl
JORDAN, K. 1908. Indo-australian butterflies. Page 17 in A. Seitz, The Macro lepidoptera of the World, 9.
1 This article was already in press when we learned that inagines was the population we studied and that it had recently been described as a new subspecies borchi Haugum and Low (Entomol. Rec. J. Var., 1974, Vol. 86 (4): 109-114). We do not recognize the validity of this taxon and consider the population we worked on as a mere local race of the typical subspecies that will better remain unnamed.
NOTES ON COLLECTING PAPAIPEMA DUOVATA (NOCTUIDAE) Between 16 and 20 September 1974, while vacationing in West Yarmouth, Barn stable Co., Massachusetts, I collected 12 specimens, all males, of Papaipema duovata Bird (Nocturidae). This species is generally considered to be very rare and local, in part because of its restriction to Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens L.) as a larval foodplant. As the present specimens were taken in an unexpected manner, a brief account of their capture may be of some interest. My cottage was located on an inlet, some quarter-mile from the ocean, and was surrounded by blooming patches of Seaside Goldenrod. Each evening a 15-watt fluorescent blacklight was operated on the east side of the cottage, but no specimens of P. duovata were ever found at this source. Rather, the 12 specimens were taken in the vicinity of a small, 40-watt incandescent bulb which was located near the front door on the south side of the cottage. It also seems noteworthy that none of the moths came to rest within three feet of the bulb itself, and that most were found resting at distances of from 6-12 feet from the bulb. These two particulars, i.e. that the moths came to a relatively weak incandescent light, and that they then rested some considerable distance from the source, suggest that the species might have been missed, had only the usual bulbs (blacklight, mercury vapor) and traps (funnel) of the modern collector been used. These observations raise the possibility that certain species may be considered rare only because they are rarely taken by the collecting methods currently in vogue. One should be particularly aware of this possibility when a species that is apparently rare at the present time was considered more common by earlier collectors. Perhaps we have lost more than the romance of collecting with candles and lanterns-some moths might better be drawn to a flame! It also seems worth noting that all 12 specimens of P. duovata came to the bulb during a one-hour period from shortly after 2200 to shortly after 2300 (EST).
THEOV')RE D. SARGENT, Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002.